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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26223757">I Knew</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEeveeTamer/pseuds/TheEeveeTamer'>TheEeveeTamer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Academy Era, Adolescent Sexuality, Dancing, Dancing Lessons, Drabble Sequence, Feelings Realization, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:21:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,679</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26223757</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEeveeTamer/pseuds/TheEeveeTamer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to ignore his feelings for the prince of Faerghus when he stands so close.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey Dedue… do you know how to dance?”<b><br/></b></p>
<p>It was a lazy afternoon, a rare day full of warmth and sunshine in Fhirdiad. Dimitri had shed his heavy fur cape and mittens long ago and they were lying neatly on a nearby chair, just where Dedue had left them.</p>
<p>The pair were on a couch in the main sitting room, the one with the big southern facing windows so they take advantage of the clear day. Dimitri was lounging on his back in a patch of sunlight with his head resting on Dedue’s knee, and Dedue was sitting upright with his hands occupied by his needlepoint.</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Why must I know how to dance?”</p>
<p>“Dedue!” Dimitri sat up suddenly, and he would have hit his head on the rim of Dedue’s embroidery hoop had he not pulled it out of the way in time. “All proper men must know how to dance! Surely they taught you some dances in Duscur?”</p>
<p>“My family never had much use for dancing,” he shrugged.</p>
<p>They danced of course, but he didn’t think that was the kind of thing Dimitri was talking about. Those kinds of dances were wild and loose and carefree. Dimitri was referring to stuffy, formal dances, the kind the Faerghian nobles did with their wives. They didn’t have anything like that in Duscur.</p>
<p>“Come on, I can show you some!”</p>
<p>Dimitri didn’t wait for his answer before he dragged him up and out of his seat by the hand and into the middle of the room. He effortlessly shoved the small table occupying the floor out of the way and stepped close.</p>
<p>“Okay now put your hands on my waist.”</p>
<p>He’d never been this close to Dimitri before. The nearest thing was their writing lessons, when Dimitri occasionally leaned over his shoulder to correct something… but they’d never been face to face during those. What would people say if they saw their prince so close to a man of Duscur?</p>
<p>“Dimitri are you sure…”</p>
<p>Dimitri tilted his head to the side, befuddled, clear blue eyes sparkling and hypnotic.</p>
<p>“Why wouldn’t I be?”</p>
<p>He hesitantly reached out and placed his hands on Dimitri’s sides, over his ribs.</p>
<p>“No Dedue,” Dimitri pouted up at him, “your hands need to be lower!”</p>
<p>“L-like this?”</p>
<p>He swallowed thickly as he slid his hands down to Dimitri’s waist… had he always been this small? It had never felt that way before. Dimitri always seemed so much larger than life to him, but here, standing like this, he felt almost delicate. Was this really the boy that took a sword for him?</p>
<p>Dimitri looked up at him, the ghost of a smile on his face.</p>
<p>“That’s it!”</p>
<p>Dedue's heart was practically beating out of his chest. It’d been some time since he’d seen Dimitri this happy.</p>
<p>Dimitri’s hands snaked up to rest on his shoulders and he stepped closer. The top of his head tickled underneath Dedue’s chin.</p>
<p>“When you dance with a woman you will be the one to lead, but for now I will show you the steps.”</p>
<p>Dance… with a woman…</p>
<p>He snuck another peek down at Dimitri. His eyebrows were drawn together in concentration, eyes turned down to look at their feet as he quietly counted out the steps.</p>
<p>Dedue had to wonder… why would he ever want to dance with a woman?</p>
<p>They shuffled through the first few steps, but Dedue wasn’t quite paying attention. His entire focus was on that foreign, tight little feeling in his chest.</p>
<p>Dimitri’s head snapped up suddenly, long golden hair swishing in the sunlight. He was positively beaming.</p>
<p>“You’re doing wonderful, Dedue!”</p>
<p>His face felt hot.</p>
<p>“Y-yeah…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As soon as they arrived he immediately headed for the back wall of the room, opposite to the buffet table and adjacent to the stage where the orchestra played. It was the least conspicuous place for him, which suited Dedue just fine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do not need to waste your time with me,” Dedue said as Dimitri took up a place beside him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nonsense, Dedue.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The music started playing, soft and sweet as the remaining students of the Officer’s Academy filtered into the room. The center floor already had young men and women pulling each other along to dance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dedue took particular note of one girl standing just at the edge of the dance floor. She seemed to be scanning the room for a partner, but not just anyone, someone specific. Her eyes landed on Dimitri and she made a beeline toward them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The way she walked was… bouncy. Bubbly and determined. Her chestnut hair flounced along with her, cheery and unburdened, though she did pause when she approached and noticed Dedue standing at her target’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She only hesitated for a moment, though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Prince Dimitri! Would you like to dance?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh... I uh…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dedue knew that he wanted to. He’d been eyeing the dance floor since they’d arrived, even if he tried to pretend that he favored spending time at the edge of the room with Dedue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dedue nodded at him to indicate that he did not mind being left alone for a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back,” Dimitri whispered apologetically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl took him by the hand and rushed them back to the dance floor, Dimitri stumbling along behind her in her enthusiasm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With Dimitri gone he hunched to make himself as small as possible. Everyone seemed to be having fun, and yet here he had relegated himself to the back of the room. A self imposed banishment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did not think he would mind such a thing, but it had been easier when Dimitri stood beside him. Now seeing him glide across the floor, hands pulling the unknown girl close to his chest, looking down at her with all the fondness and charm expected of a prince… Dedue’s chest hurt. This song seemed to go on forever, as if the orchestra was encouraging the repeated, endless stomping on his heart. He couldn’t take another moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced around to see if anyone was watching him—of course they weren’t—and then he slipped outside. Not far enough to lose the music. As soon as the song ended and Dimitri left his dance partner he would slip back inside as if he’d never left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pressed his back up against the stone wall of the courtyard and slowly slid to the ground, head in his hands. This was stupid, he was stupid for reacting like this. Dimitri was a prince, he always had been, he always would be. He would dance with women, probably even fall in love with one, marry one, have a family with one, and Dedue would always just be his vassal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thought he’d learned to accept that long ago, thought he was okay with it. He’d set these boundaries himself, because he couldn’t bear to see Dimitri dragged down with him. Yet in this moment he found himself sinking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The song would wind down soon, which meant he needed to get himself together. He needed to be back where Dimitri left him, unaffected, just like always, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He shivered in the cold and his back felt wet… snow? Was it snowing now?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing out here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dedue’s head snapped up. Dimitri knelt down to meet his eyes, just as the orchestra’s music faded out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your Highness!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He anguished as Dimitri’s knees hit the soft, cold dirt in the courtyard. His pants were going to be ruined…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are hard to find.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I apologize. I needed some air,” he lied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see… Well, come back inside, the night is still young and there are still plenty more opportunities to dance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri held his hand out to him to help him up, but Dedue did not take it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do not think that would be a good idea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t you want to dance, Dedue?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I fear it would ruin everyone’s good time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri pouted. That damn pout. The face Dedue would move mountains for if only Dimitri asked it of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would be a waste if you did not use the skills that I taught you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” Dimitri pulled him to his feet by his hand and stepped in close to him, “I will dance with you. You still remember how to lead, correct?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His throat was dry. He knew just where to place his hands, just how to do all of the steps, but it felt like the first time all over again. His fingers slid past Dimitri’s ribs and settled on his slight waist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri’s hands slid up to his neck, stretched awkward by their difference in height, but the absurdity of it didn’t stop the hairs from standing up on the back of his neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stood like that for a moment, Dimitri staring up at him confidently as they waited for the next set of music to start. His eyes sparkled in the starlight, ethereal and beautiful, like he was possessed by the goddess of beauty herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then the music started, and Dedue’s full focus turned to his feet. This was not waltzing music, it was slow and soft and they adapted accordingly. Small steps, more of a drift than an elegant glide through the grass. They stumbled and tripped over roots and branches and snags, and each time they did Dimitri’s fingers curled around the collar of his dress uniform to stabilize himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re doing wonderful, Dedue,” he encouraged, so much like the first time that it made his heart twist all over again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I had an excellent teacher.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri gaped quietly for a moment, like he was searching for a response, before he bowed his head slightly. The small, fragile snowflakes that clung to the tips of his hair scattered as he did, but in spite of that, even in the half moon’s light, Dedue could see the red tinge to his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dedue smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri did not blush for the unknown girl like that, because Dimitri never blushed like that for anyone but him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy birthday to the best FE3H character there is &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I originally wasn't going to do anything for Dedue's birthday, but I was really inspired to get something together. Part 1 was originally just posted to Tumblr because I didn't think it was long enough to warrant it's own fic over here, but what I wrote today worked well with the theme so I'm going to post them both today.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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